North China faces extreme heat, with temps hitting 40°C+ in 2023—breaking 60-year records. A new study links the heatwave to high-pressure systems and dry soils, warning such events may become normal due to climate change. Urgent adaptation needed for energy, health, and crops.

Oxygen deprivation around birth can lead to brain damage in babies, with far-reaching consequences. A new stem cell treatment administered via nasal drops is showing promising results. In a safety study conducted at UMC Utrecht, called PASSIoN, ten newborns received this ‘intranasal stem cell therapy’ shortly after birth. Most of the children showed remarkably positive development: they started walking earlier on average than untreated children with comparable brain damage, had no motor impairments, and none developed epilepsy or visual problems. The study results were published today in the scientific journal Stroke.

For the first time researchers from both Sheba Medical Center and Tel Aviv University have grown human kidney organoids (a synthetic 3D organ culture) from tissue stem cells in the laboratory mirroring human fetal kidney development.

Higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy may be linked to better scores on cognitive tests, according to a new study by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance (IR), inflammation, and dysregulation in glucose metabolism. The disease is spreading globally, partly due to aging, which can damage the immune system and speed up the progression of the metabolic disorder. This review primarily delves into the triggers for T2D within the framework of the ominous octet, which emphasizes 8 principal factors under the “ominous octet” framework that contribute to high blood glucose and associated metabolic disorders. The article studies the interplay of hyperinsulinemia, mitochondrial dysfunction (MD), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress with immune aging in driving disease progression affecting each component of the octet. MD and ER stress can result in defects in insulin signaling, ultimately leading to β-cell death. Chronic inflammation associated with aging, also known as inflammaging, especially affects older adults by worsening IR and glucose regulation, which creates a continuous sequence of metabolic problems. Thus, the “ominous octet” framework provides fundamental knowledge to develop personalized treatment approaches that target metabolic dysfunction together with ER stress, MD, and immune system imbalances. These strategies show promising potential to improve treatments for T2D and may lead to better health outcomes for older adults dealing with this condition.

Amid a growing youth mental health crisis, a new study shows that hope is a powerful protective force for adolescents. Beyond boosting emotional and physical well-being, higher levels of hope significantly reduced bullying and cyberbullying. Hopeful teens – those who believe in their goals and pathways to achieve them – were more than one third less likely to harm others. Those with less hope were more than 50% more likely to engage in such behavior. For parents, educators and policymakers: hope is a critical tool for prevention.